I live in Park City, Utah and have the opportunity to become certified
to use the skeleton track here at the Olympic Park.  The training is
done by some of the top skeleton coaches in the world.

Seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity but I want to make sure I
fully understand the risks involved.  I also paraglide, hang glide,
scuba dive and fly private planes.  I'm 42 years old, in good shape
and don't mind taking some risks .... just don't want to put myself
unneccessarily in harms way.

My questions are:

- What are the most common injuries and how do they occur?
- How many significant (broken bone and above) accidents happen each
year?  How about on a per 1000 participant basis
- What are some worthwhile websites that speak to the risks involved.
- What other information can you share that speaks to the risks of the
sport and the likely injuries if a mistake is made (ie, most injuries
are minor)

Thanks

Doug

Hello,

I could only find this short blurb from a track EMT:

"Is Skeleton dangerous? Clearly there is an element of danger in the
sport. The potential for serious, even catastrophic or fatal injury
exists and anyone who is contemplating trying the sport must
acknowledge this. Nevertheless, most participants would argue that the
sport is not as dangerous as it looks. Although fractures do occur,
most collisions with the walls are glancing blows, not head on.
Generally speaking, the injuries which occur are similar to those
found in contact sports such as football or judo. (Despite the fact
that Skeleton is not, technically, a contact sport.)"

So it sounds like overall it's rather safe and you risk some pretty
mild injuries (broken arms, broken ribs, sprains, dislocation) but
there is a definite risk of fatal and life altering injuries such as a
broken neck or spine or serious internal injuries (bleeding,
punctures).

Source: http://www.capital.net/~phuston/skelbob.html

Hope I could help,
Cheers!